Roachdale Robotics Club earns grant from Allison Children's Trust

Beginning in fall 2016 the Mary Allison Children's Trust board of directors began a projects program. Each semester applications are distributed to the elementary schools to present a project to the projects committee. For fall 2017 the recipient of the Projects Fund was Roachdale Elementary School Robotics Club.

The Roachdale Elementary Robotics Club demonstrates its challenge field and displays team shirts to a few members of the Mary Allison Children's Trust board members. In front (from left) are Camryn Riggle, Nathan Walker, James Thomas, Owen Thurman, Aaron Miles, Will Smith, Heath Livingston, while in back are (from left) Julie Evans, Jason Walker, along with Mary Allison Children's Trust board members Ginger Scott, Jeff Kiger and Jim Jackson. Not pictured is Christian Kramer.

The project covered purchase of Vex IQ Challenge Field, Ringmaster element kit, competition T-shirts, competition registration and robot motor/controller brain/parts in the amount of $1,000.

Benefits of students participating in the robotics program are many, organizers note. During the process of building and modifying the robot, the entire club works together finding weaknesses and improving the design. When the students believe an area could be improved upon, individual students come up with several hypothesis of how to make an improvement. They then break into small groups in order to build solutions.

Once they complete a possible solution, they test it on the robot in front of everybody. The entire group would then decide if it improved in a manner they found satisfactory. The whole process stretches critical thinking and opens their imaginations.

The matches are an excellent area of growth for the students. Each match consists of two teams made up of two students per team operating two robots simultaneously on the same game field.

Being from different schools, the teams must meet before each match to come up with a game plan to maximize scoring chances. They must know and discuss their robots' strengths and weaknesses in order to maximize the ability to score points. The whole interaction hones verbal communication skills and further develops excellence in teamwork.

Applications for the 2017-18 second semester have been distributed to the schools and application deadline is Feb. 16.

Elementary schools are the board's main focus, however middle schools and high schools are also welcome to apply for project funding. Applications may be obtained by calling 655-2333 or email gscott@wabashcapital.com.

Recipients of the fall 2016 and spring 2017 project funds were Tzouanakis Intermediate "Hygiene Kits" and Deer Meadow Primary "Calming Sensory Kits."